Fire-escape



'(No Model.)

W. H.1VI0BETH.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 449,859. PatehtedApnV, 1891.

I WITNESSES. INVENTOR.

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WILLIAM MOBETII, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,859, dated April '7, 1891.

Application filed September 20, 1890. Serial No. 365.617. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MOBETH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to fire-escapes or provisional means for getting out of a building when the usual means for doing so are inaccessible, and more particularly to that class of fire-escapes which are intended to be stored away at some place convenient to where it is intended to use the same.

It consists in a jointed ladder provided with means for securing its upper end when being used, a projecting knee-piece to keep the same away from the wall against which it is hung, and means for makingthe ladder more like a rigid ladder when suspended from a support, as hereinafter described, and has for its object to provide a ladder for a fire-escape that shall be comparatively convenient to use, shall occupy comparatively small space when not being used, and shall be indestructible by fire.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference denote like parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of one of my improved ladders. Fig.2 is a side view of the same, showing the method of securing the same to awin dow-sill; and Fig. 3 is a side View of the ladder folded up.

I make up my ladder by forming the sides in sections a and b of a length convenient for the distance between rounds. The different sections a and b on either side of the ladder are secured together so as to form a hingejoint by passing the reduced ends of the rounds 0 through the holes formed near the ends of the same. They are retained thereon by the nuts e, secured on the ends of the rounds c. The section side pieces a and b are made of some strong metal, preferably sheetsteel, and in making up the ladder the pieces are put inside and outside in each alternate section, as shown in Fig. 1. The object of this is to permit the ladder being folded up, as shown in Fig. 3. the end sections are secured together by a The extending ends of bolt 0, which also acts as the end rounds of the ladder when suspended from a support, as a window-sill, as shown in Fig. 2.

To one end of the ladder into the extending ends of the side pieces of the last section are fastened the ends of two stretchers h h of some pliable material, preferably a metal chain, provided with eyes i on their ends, by which they may be fastened to the hooks 70, let into either side of the inside of the window-frame Z at some convenient place. The side pieces of the last section of the ladder, to which the chains h h are fastened, are bent outwardly to either side of the ladder, as shown in Fig. 1, to properly lead to the fastenings on the inside of the window and serve to brace the ladder when suspended from such a support.

At some convenient point in the length of the ladder, preferably the second section from the top, I secure to the side pieces a projecting kneepiece m, which when the ladder is suspended against the wall, as shown in Fig. 2, will keep the ladder away from the Wall a short distance, so that the rounds may be conveniently taken hold of in ascending and descending. To further stiffen the ladder against the tendency to come against the wall, I secure to the end of the side pieces an abutting lip-piece (1, extending over the front edge of the side piece of the next section This lippiece can obviously be applied only to each alternate joint, in order to permit of the ladder being folded up, as shown in Fig. 8.

In-practice it is intended to place one of these ladders in each of the different rooms,

and into the window-frames are secured the hooks for fastening the ends of theladder, ready for immediate use. Then it is desired to use the ladder, the ends of the chains h are secured to the hooks k and the ladder dropped from the window, as shown in Fig. 2, its length of course being such as to reach to the ground from the window or story where it is used.

hen the ladder is not being used, it may be folded up, as shown in Fig. 3, and stored away in some convenient place.

I claim- In an apparatus of the character described, a sectional ladder, in combination with end J 0s. W. Cnooxns, In'tcstimcny whereof I have itffiXOd my sig- A. RAMEL.

nature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 25th day of July, 1890.

\VILLIAM ll. MOB E'lI-l'. 

